On Meet the Press this morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said “Congress should sort of shut up and not empower Qaddafi” by discussing the possibility of cutting off funding for military operations there.
He also said it was a mistake for Republican presidential hopefuls to think that getting “to the left” of President Obama on national security is a path to victory in the GOP primary. He warned that any candidate evincing skepticism about our military mission in Afghanistan and elsewhere the Middle East would face strong “headwinds” from the party.
On ABC’s This Week, Graham’s close ally Sen. John McCain expressed a worry that Republicans were returning to “isolationism.”
Referring to comments made by several Republican hopefuls during last week’s New Hampshire debate, McCain said “there’s always been an isolation strain in the Republican Party, the Pat Buchanan wing of our party. But now it seems to have moved more center stage, so to speak.”
I can't hardly stand to hear Graham speak anymore. And what in god's name has Libya got to do with national security? And when does he think Afghanistan and Iraq can hold up themselves? Iran is now the greater threat in the Mideast, when will the focus shift there, instead of the clown prince?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you're on the opposite side to Graham and McCain, you'll always be on the right side of any issue.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's almost like this guy and his buddy McCain are the opposite of what most voters think. They might feel that their "leading" by being a total contrarian on everything, but all there just idiots, actually useful idiots.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBoy, I guess I need to read better.
should be
It's almost like this guy and his buddy McCain are the opposite of what most voters think. They might feel that they are "leading" by being total contrarians on everything, but they're just idiots, actually useful idiots.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYour minor errors on a comment cite that disallows corrections to posted comments: no biggie.
Having to read your minor corrections in a second post: mildly irritrating
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow with typos corrected.
Your minor errors on a comment site that disallows corrections to posted comments: no biggie.
Having to read your minor corrections in a second post: mildly irritating
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo Graham believes that funding the third war is the job of the executive branch then? Seriously, the Republicans need to do something about the War Powers act. Either make Democrats follow it the way that future Republican Presidents will need to, or take this golden opportunity to repeal this unnecessary extra-constitutional monstrosity. Congress's powers are to declare war and power of the purse. These semi-wars (limited acts of war that the US commits for a "good cause" without formally declaring a war) Congress only has the power of the purse, until the Constitution is formally amended.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI thought George Will effectively articulated the conservative counter-argument to McCain and Grahamnasty.
Additionally, American CANNOT continue to foot almost the entire bill for NATO. We cannot afford to provide for our own national defense requirements in addition providing the requirements of the EU. If Europe is worried about Ghaddafi, then perhaps Europe needs to be spending a greater percentage of their GDP on defense. There are no more free lunches.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBy the way, the last count that I have seen placed the number of Tomahawk missiles fired by the US at something greater than 125. How many have the Euros loosed? Less than 10.
To employ a word loved by the lefties - that is just not sustainable.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI hate to "defend" the Euros, but they are flying actual bomber/attack sorties into Libya, whereas I do not think the U.S. is.
That said, Graham and McCain are in a world of their own, so far removed from reality I'm assuming there are unicorns and mermaids involved somehow.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI agree with Graham. This is a democracy and we cannot have everyone running around stating their opinions. Before long, there could be an honest debate in Congress over Obama's illegal war for oil.
Further, Graham is correct to chastise GOP candidates for question the logic of permanent war in the barbarian areas. We can't have that. No way, mo how. "The party" will not tolerate it.
It does not speak well of the people in South Carolina that this pusillanimous little snot is one of their Senators.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDoes anybody remember the old days when dissent was patriotic?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGraham may have some points that can be argued here but he is such an obnoxious and cocky contrarian that I can't resist saying that I just wish that ~he~ would "shut up."
(For gosh sakes, South Carolinians, what were you thinking of? Especially to send this POS back for ~another~ six years in 2008, ~after~ McShame-Gramnesty.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGood gosh, Zman...you're weaving all over the road (or dropping irony like radar-confusing chaff to keep us all off your tail).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGraham has a very bad habit of telling people who disagree with his positions to shut up. It is a cheap and ineffective way to try to win a policy argument. Graham needs to do the hard work of actually explaining why he is right and his opponents are wrong.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLeave it to the media to bring out the hysterical buffoon Lindsay Graham
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRemember when Lindsey Grahamesty was a Republican? McCain and Graham need to "Shut UP!"
When did we have the "McCain/Graham Revolution"?
I now know that Graham is helping McCain look for the Strawberries.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLindsey Graham was born in 1955; John McCain was born in 1936. On this fine Father's Day, one is tempted to ask the question, are these two idiots related?
Oh, never mind. The question is not fair to Little Lindsey's real parents, who no doubt had to put up with raising him. But my version is more interesting and would explain so much.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGrahamnasty, seriously, how is this guy in the Republican party at all? His day of power are gone, gone, gone. Way gone. Dead and gone. As in...Go far, far away. Go to your retirement and leave us...please.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMorally, I'm not opposed to killing Qaddafi just for the sake of killing him.
He ordered Lockerbie, therefore he should not be allowed to die of old age or natural causes. He has an outstanding debt.
But we aren't expending ordnance for that reason. I don't consider this a "war", but an expensive ordnance expenditure.
Why are we doing this, then? To get a foot in the door of this Arab Spring by way of what appeared to be the lowest hanging fruit? A country within range of land-based NATO tactical aircraft?
Or is it because Q was killing his own people? Something he has, um...never done before?
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